Hugh Weston

was a Leycestershire Man born, entred a Student in Balliol Coll. about 1526, took the Degree of Bach. of Arts 1530, about which time being chose Fellow of Lincoln Coll. (I mean into one of those Fellowships founded by Edw. Darby) he proceeded in his Faculty, studied Physick, and was afterwards one of the Proctors of the University. In 1538, he was elected Rector of the said College, was admitted the year after to the reading of the sentences, and in 1540. he proceeded in Divinity. About which time he was made Margaret Professor, Archdeacon of Colchester, and Rector of Cliff in Kent. In the first of Qu. Mary he had the Deanery of Westminster bestowed on him, in the place of Dr. Ric. Coxe, was made prolecutor of the convocation of the whole Clergy of the Diocess of Canterbury; where in speaking and acting he behaved himself with great commendation. The same year being forced to leave the said Deanery to make room for Dr. Joh. Fekenham the former Abbat of Westminster and the Monks, had that of Wind [•] ore bestowed upon him, an. 1556. But being taken in adultery (as some say) was deprived of the said Deanery by Card. Pole Archb. of Canterbury, in 1557. Whereupon looking on himself as much abused, did appeal to an higher Power. So that being about to take a journey to Rome to complain to his holiness, was seized, and clapt up Prisoner within the Tower of London, where as I conceive he died. Jo. Leland (a)(a) In Principum ac illustr. aliquot virorum, &c. Encomiis. p. 86. & in Cygnea Cant. edit. Lond, 1658. p. 22. gives him the character of a noted Preacher and Orator of his time, and seems to intimate that he had written several Books. Jo. Bale, who speaks well of few Men, saith (b)(b) In his Declaration of Edm. Bonners articles—Lond. 1561. fol. 69. that he had been sore bytten with a Winchester gose, and was not as yet (1554) healed thereof: And tells us of his old familiar Mary Huckvale of Oxford and of his provider Goodwife Person, and Chrystian Thompson the Widow, and I know not what. Another (c)(c) Mich. Wood a Printer, in his epist. to the Reader before Steph. Garamers Oration de vera obedientia, p [•] . at Roan, 1553. equal with Bale in scurrilities, saith that Hugh Weston is a drunken burnt tail man, a baudy beast, a leacherous locust, a companion with curtezans of Coleman hedge—more meet to be coupled with his old play-fellow and pack-borse Goodwife Hugfaile at Oxon, at the tayle of a Cart, than to be reverenced and reputed a Mayden Preist in good Queen Maries Court. But to let pass this brutish language, more fit to be spoken at Billingsgate than by a Person that made Divinity his delight, I must tell you that there goes under this Dr. Weston’s name,

Oratio coram patribus & clero habita 16. Oct. 1553. The beginning of which is Cum Demosthenes totius Graeciae lumen, &c. Lond. 1553. oct.

Disputations with Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer in the Divnity School at Oxon. an. 1554.—At which time he was Moderator in the disputations of several Doctors had with them, as you may see at large in Joh. Fox his Book of Acts and Monuments of the Church, &c. wherein are also several conferences, and discourses of the said H. Weston had with other Persons. At length he giving way to fate within the Tower of London, (as it seems) in the Month of Decemb. 1558 in Fifteen hundred fifty and eight, was buried before the image of the Crucifix, in the middle of the Church belonging to the Hospital of the Savoy, situated in the Strand near to London. In his will dat. 26. Nov. 1558, made within the Tower of London, he bestowed most of his wealth on pious and publick uses, took a great deal of care about the ceremoney to be performed at his burial, and for the praying for his Soul by several Persons in several places, as moneys for a Dirige and Mass to be performed (1) By the Master and Fellows of Balliol Coll. (2) By the Rector and Fellows of Lincoln Coll. (3) By the Chapl. or Priest of the University of Oxon. (4) By the Priest at Islip near Oxon. of which perhaps he had been Rector (5) By the Priest of Burton Novery in Leycestershire, at which place (if I mistake not) he had received his first breath, because his Brethren lived there, &c. with many other things therein, which not only shew’d him to be a zealous Catholick, but also a Person of a publick spirit.